1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a management apparatus for obtaining history information that is collected from a plurality of devices and managing destination information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, multi-function copiers include functions, such as a copy function, a printer function, a facsimile transmission function, a scan function, a scanned image transmission function, and an electronic mail transmission function. Furthermore, these types of multi-function copiers are called MFPs (Multi-Function Peripherals) and have been widely put to practical use. In MFPs, it is possible to register facsimile numbers, electronic mail addresses, the address of a network client, and the like as destination information of the transmission destination for a transmission function process in a destination table in devices.
However, in apparatuses, such as MFPs, which are used by an unspecified large number of users, there is a problem in that as a result of destination information being freely registered by each user, the destination table increases in size, and thus memory resources cannot be effectively utilized.
Furthermore, because an unspecified large number of users use an MFP, there is another problem in that destination information that is no longer used in practice is kept in the memory resources of the MFP.
In comparison, there is a known technology in which the number of transmissions and receptions is stored in advance in a memory in an MFP when mail is transmitted or received, and when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded, the address information is automatically registered in an address book (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-251929).
Furthermore, when the available size of memory resources for storing the destination table is decreased, the address is automatically deleted on the basis of the number of transmissions stored for each transmission destination and the up-to-date transmission day (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-122416).
However, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-251929 described above, there is no description regarding deletions. As a consequence, in an apparatus, such as an MFP, which is used by an unspecified large number of users, it is not possible to prevent the destination table from increasing in size.
Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-122416 described above, since there is only one reference with which the destination table is deleted, it is not possible to delete the destination table in such a manner as to deal with various environments of the user. For example, destination information that is always used only in January every year is deleted for the reason that the most recent transmission date and time is old in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-122416.